Flicker
by azure-lupis
Summary: Nightmares have begun to plague Rodney’s dreams. What happens when they start to merge with real life?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: An idea I've had floating around for a while. Updates might be a little slow.

STATUS: TBC

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Nightmares have begun to plague Rodney's dreams. What happens when they start to merge with real life?

SPOILERS: Nada

WARNINGS: Swearing. Our boys have quite the potty mouth sometimes.

DISCLAIMER: Everything Stargate Atlantis related is property of MGM. I own nothing.

x x x

"Rodney, are you sure you're well enough to go on this mission?"

Elizabeth Weir eyed her Head Scientist with concern, taking in the man's watery eyes, clogged nose, and pale complexion.

Rodney waved a hand as he stuffed last minute gadgets into his pack.

"I'll be fine, Elizabeth. We're just going to look at some ruins. Knowing my luck, it won't be Ancient at all and I'll have to send for some hack Archaeologist team to take over." He paused before adding with a roll of his eyes, "Not that I can't write up some report about ruins with the best of them. It's not that hard. A monkey could do it. What am I saying...Sheppard could do it."

"Gee, _thanks_, Rodney..." drawled a voice from behind them.

Elizabeth turned, trying to hide an amused smile as she watched John Sheppard climb the stairs of the control room to head over to the pair. He made no effort to hide his appraising glance of Rodney.

"Sure you're up to this, McKay?"

"Oh, for—I'm perfectly fine!"

Three sets of eyes widened, including Rodney's.

"Oh, wow," he said thoughtfully as he wiped his nose with a tissue he had stuffed up his sleeve. "I _must_ be sick. Though now that you've asked, I _do_ feel pretty bad. My nose is stuffy, my eyes are watery, I'm pretty tired—although that's probably from staying up until nearly two in the morning. Once again Kavanagh's managed to screw up all my hard work on the water desalination tanks—"

"Whoa," interrupted John. "I didn't ask how you were feeling. I asked if you're able to go on the mission."

Rodney stared at his team leader for a few moments, hurt flickering across his face.

"Oh. Well, yes. Yes, I'll be fine. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic. Let's move out."

Five minutes later, the team of four stepped through the gate to come out on the other side. The gate on P4E 228 was in the middle of a forest, and judging by the dark purple hue, it was nightfall.

"Lovely place..." Rodney muttered, eyeing his surroundings with suspicion.

"Definitely not a vacation location," John agreed as he switched on the light on his P-90. "Any life signs?"

The sound of Velcro ripping cut through the eerie quiet as Rodney pulled the Detector out of his vest pocket. A glance down told him they were alone.

"Nothing. Not even an energy signature."

"On the whole planet?"

"Uh-huh."

"Alright then," came John's flippant reply as he motioned for them to start forward.

Rodney hung back, eyebrows raised.

"Does no one see the problem with that?"

"The only problem I see is you not moving your ass, McKay," John called.

Rodney scowled and hurried forwards to catch up with the other three.

"Seriously though. No life signs? Hello!"

Ronon rolled his eyes, determinedly ignoring the scientist. With a placating smile, Teyla asked, "What is the problem, Doctor?"

Glad that someone was finally paying attention, Rodney waved his arms while gesturing to the screen of the Detector.

"We're here to see ruins, but there's no population on the planet!" _I didn't know the Life Signs Detector could see the whole planet..._

Silence.

"Uh, you're supposed to be listening! That's why I'm here, remember? On your team? So you can defer to my scientific and professional opinion? Hel-LO—"

"Shut up," John snapped. He had stopped in his tracks, P-90 slowly wandering from side to side. The pale light cast shadows over everything, making it hard to tell what was real and what wasn't. Everything seemed to be moving.

"What? What is it?"

"Shush."

Rodney blinked and looked around, hand hovering nervously over his sidearm. He knew he was no professional when it came to tracking and whatnot, but even he could see that they were alone. A quick glance at the LSD told him so. But John, Ronon, and Teyla looked like they were poised to—

"Run!" John suddenly yelled as he let off a spray of weapons fire.

Before Rodney could argue, Teyla and Ronon had grabbed him by the arms and hauled him off, leaving John to cover their six.

"Hurry it up, McKay!" ordered Ronon gruffly. "You're holding us back."

"Excuse me?" Rodney squawked through pants of breath.

"You heard me. Move it!"

"Yes, Rodney. You must move quicker!"

"But there's nothing—"

"Ronon, get down!" yelled John from behind them. Another round of P-90 fire echoed through the sparse forest. Suddenly Ronon dropped like a sack of bricks. Warm liquid splattered across Rodney's right cheek.

He slowed to a stop, already pale face loosing more colour. Raising a shaking hand, he wiped it over his wet cheek before looking down at it. Everything was washed out, a dull purple tone around him, almost black and white save for the splash of bright red on his hand.

His throat closed up, lungs suddenly straining for air. _Ronon..._

"Son of a bitch!" John yelled, grabbing Rodney's arm tightly and yanking him forward. "Look at what you—forget it! Just run, McKay! And make it faster this time!"

Rodney ran on auto-pilot, letting John pull him along the dark trail with Teyla right beside them.

"Faster, Doctor!" Teyla urged, starting to sound irritated. "You must run faster! You are in my way!"

Rodney swallowed through his constricted throat, chest straining with pain. Before he could pick up his pace, Teyla was down.

John didn't let either one of them stop. They just kept running, the Colonel yelling all the way.

"God, McKay! You're getting us all killed! Why the hell can't you run faster? Shoot better? All you do is hide behind us! Get your fucking act together! You need to wake up, McKay!"

Rodney stumbled, twigs digging into his hands and knees as he fell to the ground. He didn't bother getting up. The Colonel would be able to escape better without him. But to his surprise, he felt hands grab his shoulders to give them a rough shake.

"Wake the hell up, Rodney! Stop slacking!"

Everything blurred around him, the voice fading before it came back in full force.

"C'mon, already! You've already missed the morning meeting!"

"Hmph?"

The hands shaking his shoulders disappeared as the man above him chuckled.

"Not firing on all cylinders yet? That's okay, I'm patient."

Rodney forced his eyes open to find himself safe and sound in his bed on Atlantis. The sheets were strewn around him, tangled up with his limbs.

"Sheppard?"

"That's my name. You awake now? That must have been some late night you had," John said with a whistle. "You dog, you."

Rodney didn't even acknowledge the crack. Instead he sat up and looked around, at the same time raising a hand to his cheek. His dry cheek.

"What...where're Teyla and Ronon?"

Slight concern flickered over John's face. He straightened up and looked down at the pale scientist. A red indent from the pillow crease marred his right cheek, but he seemed fine.

"Uh, they're waiting for us in the conference room. The room you were supposed to be in over an hour ago. You alright, buddy?"

Realizing what the Colonel had said, Rodney looked over at the glowing clock on the nightstand. '_Crap, he's right. Since when do I oversleep?_'

"Sorry, I must have..." He searched his mind for an excuse before letting out a tired yawn. "I got nothing. Now get out so I can get dressed."

John appraised him for a moment before nodding with a lazy smile.

"Alright then. Conference room in ten. Hurry it up, Rodney."

The scientist froze in the act of flinging back the sheets, a strange look on his face.

"What did you say?"

John stared with raised eyebrows as he wandered backwards over to the door.

"I said to hurry up. Elizabeth's going to get pissed. Are you sure you're alright? Want to get Beckett to make a house call?"

"No, I'm fine," Rodney assured him before freezing again. The peculiar expression crossed his face once more before he shook his head. "I'll probably go see him after the meeting. It's nothing. Just a...a headache."

Even though John could see right through the scientist's lie, he just nodded slowly as the door slid open.

"If you're sure. See you in ten."

Rodney nodded before the Colonel left. Taking a breath, he slid out of bed and made his way into the bathroom for a shower. As he stood under the steaming water, he scrubbed at his skin with the soap, or more specifically, his cheek.

'_Lady Macbeth much?_'

He let out an annoyed huff of breath. '_It was only a dream. A horrible nightmare. Heightmeyer would have a field day..._' But there was no way he would be going to her for dream interpretation. '_I might as well just ask Carson to cast his chicken bones..._'

Realizing that he was purposely wasting time, he forced himself to shut off the water and get out. After drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist, he wiped a patch clear on the mirror above his sink.

It was no wonder the Colonel was staring at him; he looked like crap. '_And now I have a great big red spot on my face. Way to go, McKay._'

With only about three minutes to get to the conference room, he threw on his uniform, grabbed a power bar, and headed out.

x x x

"—said he had a headache," John finished with raised eyebrows.

"But you don't believe him," Elizabeth surmised as she leaned back, setting her stylus on top of her tablet.

John shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't know. He didn't seem too well, but the whole 'headache' thing sounded like one big excuse."

"Perhaps Doctor McKay simply did not have a good night," Teyla suggested. Ronon grunted in agreement.

"Heard some scientists caused a big fuss last night," he said as he crossed his arms and leaned back. "Something about an artefact."

"Probably Kavanagh refusing to share again," John said with a grin.

"As usual," Rodney commented as he strode into the conference room. Everyone's gaze immediately turned to him. He blinked before rolling his eyes. "Oh. Did the Colonel spin some tale about me being crazy or something?"

"Crazy? No," John replied lazily. "Although now that you mention it..."

"Oh, har har. Don't quit your day job."

"The Colonel only said that you didn't seem all that well this morning," Elizabeth interjected, taking in Rodney's complexion. "And what happened to your cheek?"

"What? Oh...I must have slept on it. Pillow creases and all. Can we get to the meeting now?"

John frowned slightly. If that was a pillow crease, then he was the Queen Mother. '_Apparently pillow creases grow into giant red blotches...Run, don't walk!_'

"If you insist," Elizabeth said with an amused smile. Nothing threw Rodney off his game, it seemed. "Alright, I believe we were going to discuss your mission tomorrow. The one Teyla suggested. From what we've heard, the ruins are fairly extensive and _do_ look Ancient in—Rodney, what on Earth's the matter?"

At the mention of ruins, Rodney's hand had slipped across the keyboard of his laptop to knock over John's cup of coffee. Dark brown liquid spread rapidly across the table, everyone hastily lifting their papers and electronics while shooting Rodney concerned and worried looks.

"Geez, Rodney! What the hell's the matter with you?" John asked as he dropped his folder onto the floor and stood, patting his pockets down for tissues or something.

"Uhm...hand slipped?" came Rodney's response. He winced. That didn't sound convincing even to him.

Whipping out a package of Kleenex, Elizabeth quickly passed them around and started patting down the table, eyes flickering from the coffee to Rodney and back.

"Rodney, if you're feeling that sick maybe you should go to the infirmary. Have Carson look you over."

"Yes, I think you might be right. I'll do that right now, shall I?" Before anyone could object, Rodney and his laptop were gone.

John stared at the empty chair as it spun, eventually slowing to a stop.

"Anyone else think he was a bit too eager to get out of here?"

A murmur of agreement was his response as the four of them mopped up the spilt coffee.

x x x

"You're perfectly healthy. Well," Carson corrected with a teasing smile. "as healthy as _you_ can be."

"Oh, har har. Very funny. You and Sheppard are rolling in them today."

With a groan, Rodney sat up and pushed himself off the Lantean scanner while Carson watched on with an amused smile.

"You just need some more sleep, lad. Then you'll feel as right as rain. Do you want me to give you something to hel—"

"No," Rodney interrupted with a wave of his hand. "I sleep fine. I just need _time_ for it, that's all." He was so used to that excuse being the truth that he didn't even have to think about saying it.

"Well then, I suggest you make some. Now get out of here and go get something to eat."

Carson thrust a thumb over his shoulder before giving Rodney a gentle shove towards the door.

"Alright, alright! No need to manhandle me..."

Smoothing down his blue shirt, Rodney huffed and stalked out of the infirmary, a plan already forming. He would hit the mess hall, eat, go to the lab, and bury himself in his work. All he needed to do was keep his mind busy so it would be too tired to think up stupid dreams while he slept.

With a faint smug smile, Rodney headed into the mess hall and joined the line. Within minutes he was seated out on the balcony with a full tray. Even though he knew it would be a long shot to see Sam, he always kept an eye out for the whale.

And apparently Sheppard knew that too.

"Lookin' for Sam?" the Colonel asked as he sat down across from Rodney, Teyla and Ronon soon joining them.

"He might still be out there somewhere," Rodney said defensively.

John just smiled lazily.

"He might be," he agreed. "You never know. It's not like he could swim right off the planet."

It took Rodney a second to realize that John was purposely baiting him. The scientist smirked faintly.

"This _is_ the Pegasus Galaxy, Colonel. I wouldn't be surprised."

The pair chuckled, one relieved that his team was exactly how he remembered and the other happy that his friend was back to normal.

"How are you feeling, Rodney? Better?" Teyla asked, voicing the thousand dollar question.

Rodney didn't hesitate before nodding.

"Much, actually," he answered through a mouthful of Jell-O. "Beckett said I just need more sleep."

Teyla smiled and said teasingly, "Perhaps you should join Ronon and I in our training session. That would surely make you tired."

"Oh, very funny. I'll have you know that I've been training a lot more lately."

"Really?"

"Uh...well, no. I've been too busy. Saving galaxy on daily basis here. But I've been picturing what you've taught me. And isn't visualization half the battle?"

"Not really," Ronon said with a smirk.

"Oh, what do you know..."

x x x

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, guys. Sorry for the late update! Between trying to rid my poor Vera of viruses (yes, I named my computer after Jayne's favourite gun, hehe!) and sheer laziness, it took a while to get started! My apologies, and thanks for all the reviews!! Also, don't forget to go find the song Panic Switch by Silversun Pickups and listen to it for this first scene! I thought it fit pretty well (plus the song is awesome =P).

STATUS: TBC

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Nightmares have begun to plague Rodney's dreams. What happens when they start to merge with real life?

SPOILERS: Nada

DISCLAIMER: Everything Stargate Atlantis related is property of MGM. I own nothing.

x x x

'_Five after one, probably time to turn in_,' Rodney thought with a jaw-cracking yawn. Leaning back on the uncomfortable metal lab stool, he stretched his back and groaned. That'll hurt come morning.

Pushing the rectangular Ancient device he was working on to the side, he shut down his laptop and closed it with a thump. For a few minutes, Rodney just sat there enjoying the silence of the empty lab before he finally slid off the stool and yawned again. After a glance around to make sure everything was off, he headed out into the hallway and turned left. He planned on making a detour to the mess for a bite before going to his quarters for some well-deserved sleep. If he could get any at least.

Lady Luck wasn't on his side though.

As soon as he turned into the main corridor, the alarms started blaring. He jumped and slapped his earpiece.

"Chuck? What the hell's going on?"

There was no reply, not even static. Just silence.

"Colonel?" he tried, again not receiving word.

"Teyla? Ronon?" A nervous pause. "Anyone?"

Silence.

"Well," he finally muttered, letting his hands fall to his sides. "This isn't good." His immediate reaction was to panic and wait out the emergency in the safety of his lab, but instead he forced himself to think. Chewing on the nail of his right thumb, his other arm wrapped around his waist, he paced around in a tight circle, forehead creased. "Alright, McKay. Think. What would Sheppard do right now?" It didn't take a genius to figure it out. "Armoury. Someone _has_ to be there." He snapped his fingers in excitement. "And walkie-talkies!" His excitement was short lived. It wouldn't make a difference if there was no one on the other end of the device. Unless he—"Wait, wait. Getting ahead of myself. Armoury first, plan later."

With his decision made, the scientist swung around the corner and immediately froze. He was the proverbial 'deer in the headlights' as he stood in the middle of the corridor, the gears of his mind grinding to a halt.

At the opposite end of the hall stood a Wraith, silently watching with its reptilian-like green eyes. His gaze didn't leave Rodney's wide one.

For what felt like forever, Rodney's heart pounding like a drum in his ears, they stared each other down, neither moving a muscle.

It was only when the Wraith's lips twisted into a crooked smile did Rodney realize that he should have bolted ages ago. This wasn't an animal that would eventually slink off when you stopped moving and stayed quiet. This was a sentient creature, a hunter whose source of food happened to be humans.

'_I'm so screwed_.'

The lights above them flickered, sending their shadows on the floor into a wild dance.

Rodney watched with terrified eyes, his gaze being drawn to the floor with almost morbid fascination. He knew it was practically suicide to take one's gaze off a Wraith when they were within striking distance.

With his eyes glued to the floor, Rodney watched as the Wraith's shadow stretched. '_He's getting taller—_' A quick glance up told him that no, it wasn't the Wraith. Just his shadow. It spread along the floor like wildfire, reaching out for the scientist. It was only a couple feet away when the darkness seeped out of the floor and up into the air, its tendrils waving seductively at him.

His feet stayed rooted to the floor, body paralyzed with heart-pounding fear.

'_Sheppard! ANYONE!_'

Within seconds he was surrounded by blackness. He could feel his body being pulled down, cold air rushing past as if he were falling. He failed his arms with a yell, limbs outstretched as he plummeted.

He fell.

And fell.

And fell...

x x x

"—ney? Rodney? Are you...kay? Hovno! Somebody...irmary...arson...ney...elp..."

x x x

"C'mon now, lad. Open your eyes now. We know you're awake."

Rodney let out a muffled groan, his head pounding. He felt sleepy and hazy, like he was drowning in—

"Whoa there, buddy!"

Strong hands grasped Rodney's shoulder when he suddenly sat up with a yell, arms floundering in panic. Blue eyes snapped open to immediately take in his surroundings.

'_The infirmary?_'

John and Carson stared at the scientist in concern. The Colonel's hands never released Rodney's shoulders as the man started to calm down.

"Sheppard? But...what the hell happened? Did you kill it?"

John raised his eyebrows.

"Kill what?"

"Kill wha—kill the Wraith obviously!"

The Colonel shared a look with Beckett.

"There're no Wraith in Atlantis, Rodney...It was probably your dream. No wonder you took a tumble. Nasty bump too from what Carson's told me..."

Rodney's wide blue gaze jumped from John to Carson and back before the Colonel's words caught up with him.

"Dream? But I..."

"...fell asleep in the lab and fell off your stool," John finished, lips curving into a bit of a grin. It was on the forced side. "Scared the shit out of Zelenka and everyone else too. Apparently you screamed like a girl and sat up so quickly that you fell backwards and hit your head on the bench behind you." He slapped the scientist's shoulder firmly. "But at least you didn't faint, right?" Okay, maybe not so forced after all.

Carson 'tsk'ed and shoved the Colonel none-too-gently away from his patient as Rodney sat back and let everything process.

'_It was just a dream? Well that's good...I think._'

On the one hand, no Wraith in Atlantis. On the other? He could be going a little crazy.

"Ow! Jesus, Carson. Watch it, would you?"

Well, maybe just a little more tense then normal.

x x x

In the end, Rodney had been released from Carson's clutches with a bottle of Advil and a stern talking to from the good doctor himself. It had been the same lecture as usual; get more sleep, don't stay up late in the labs, blah, blah, blah. And it was light-duty only. No offworld missions for a few days, just rest and easy lab work. Rodney had snorted at that last one, but agreed all the same. He had no complaint when it came to rest. _Getting_ it however was a completely different story.

When he and his escort, a languid but wary Colonel, reached his quarters, Rodney turned to John and said snidely, "Well, we made it to my room without difficulties, just like I said. Your presence was unnecessary." But secretly appreciated.

John shrugged and crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall.

"Just wanted to be sure. Wouldn't want you to end up in the infirmary for the second time. In a row," he added, just for good measure. Hazel eyes surveyed the scientist appraisingly.

With a roll of his eyes, Rodney swiped a hand over the sensor. The door whooshed open, presenting them with a view of a quasi-messy and dark room.

Rodney seemed to hesitate on the threshold before his hand moved over the sensor once again, closing the door with a quiet hiss. He turned to the questioning Colonel and said with forced briskness, "Actually, I think I'm going to hit the mess first. Missed lunch, you know."

"Oh," John hummed agreeably with a tilt of his head, eyebrows rising. "Of course."

"...are you humouring me?" Rodney demanded.

"Aw, would I do that?" John slapped a hand to his heart, a pout tugging at his quirked lips. "You wound me." When Rodney showed no sign of amusement, not even a hint of a smile, John dropped his hand and said with a sigh, "Look, McKay. You've obviously been having some issues lately. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I just thought you could, you know, use a talk..." He trailed off, looking a bit awkward. Neither of them were particularly good in _that_ department.

Rodney glared, ready to chew the other man out. He didn't need someone sticking their nose into his personal _issues_, as the Colonel so delicately put it. But on the other hand, John was willing to risk possible, if not probable embarrassment just to help Rodney. Neither man liked to talk about their feelings, but on the rare occasion that they did, it helped. More then they would admit.

Rodney's glare relaxed into a scowl before it turned into a weary frown.

"Oh. Well...thanks," he said quietly, glancing at the Colonel in silent apology. "Sorry about—" He waved a hand awkwardly. "—snapping at you. I don't know if you've noticed, but I get kind of touchy when I don't get enough sleep."

John's mouth fell open in shock.

"No way! You?"

"Yes, I—oh, very funny. You're downright hysterical."

A chuckle.

"C'mon, buddy. Let's get to the mess before all the jell-o disappears. You can tell me about your crazy and wayward adventures in McKayland."

"Wayward? Who says 'wayward' anymore?" Blue eyes narrowed. "You're not going to start singing Kansas, are you?"

The answer?

Yes. Yes he was.

x x x

AN: Okay, so hopefully this was the last semi-boring chapter! The ball (of mystery!) is rolling now, so things will start to pick up. Hopefully I haven't put anyone to sleep =P


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: WOWZA! A month! That's gotta be some sort of really crappy record for me. My apologies for taking so freakin' long! As usual, thanks a ton for the reviews!

STATUS: TBC

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Nightmares have begun to plague Rodney's dreams. What happens when they start to merge with real life?

SPOILERS: Nada

DISCLAIMER: Everything Stargate Atlantis related is property of MGM. I own nothing.

x x x

A few days had passed since Rodney's nightmare about the Wraith, but unfortunately it hadn't been the last. Before the dreams had happened every few days, but now they were occurring nightly and even during the power naps that he could grab in the labs or mess hall. Incidentally, he stopped napping in public places after having a 'bit of a fit', as Carson called it, during the lunch hour the day before.

People were starting to get worried, and Rodney himself was at the top of the list. And although he had been 'advised' by Elizabeth to go to Heightmeyer, he maintained the reasoning that he was simply tired and perhaps a _little_ stressed out. Everything was fine, thank you very much.

"Rodney? Is late, yes? Perhaps you should call it a night."

Hunched over the rectangular Ancient device he had been working on for a few days now, Rodney just waved an absent hand to the Czech behind him, mumbling something or other in reply.

Radek sighed.

"Rodney, Carson said he would poke me with very big needle if I did not get you to bed like good boy. So go? Please? Before he radios, yes?"

"No. Busy, Radek. I'll go in a bit. Just tell him I already left. You can lie, right?"

"About as well as pigeon can fly in rainstorm."

"What?" Rodney straightened up and blinked before pursing his lips in annoyance. "Right. Well as amusing as your folksy sayings are, some of us have actual work to do. So go away now. Shoo!" Hands waved around once again before the scientist was turning back to the device.

Radek sighed from behind him.

"Well if you're not going to leave, at least tell me what you're slaving over."

"That would be the problem," the Canadian grumbled as he spun away from the metal table to glare at Radek. "I have no idea what it does!"

Zelenka ignored the fierce look, knowing it was directed more at the elusive device then him. Walking over, he peered down at the thing, taking in its rectangular shape. It appeared to have no buttons or controls of any sort, but there were faint lines on the back, indicating the grooves of a panel. The front, or what he assumed to be, had a darker coloured glass inlayed about two inches in from each side, similar to a screen.

"You have not been able to turn it on then? There appears to be a screen..."

"Oh, well spotted, Radek," Rodney said sarcastically. "You get a gold star. No, I haven't been able to turn it on! I even got the Colonel to try days ago when it was first found."

"In the South pier labs, yes? The unused ones?"

"Mmhm," came an affirmative hum. "Those are the ones. Unfortunately the Ancients, as usual, failed to mention whatever this is in their database. Colour me surprised."

Radek chuckled and nudged his slipping glasses back up his nose.

"Well, then I suggest you leave it for now and start fresh tomorrow. New day, yes?"

Rodney stared at the smaller man suspiciously before his lips twitched.

"Big needle, huh?"

"Indeed. Very big. Please to go now."

"Going, going..."

x x x

"So how are those dreams of yours treating you?"

It was the next day, just after the lunch hour, and Rodney and John were on the South Pier having another look around the abandoned labs. They weren't in a state of disrepair or anything, just unused and not fully explored. It was one of those places in Atlantis that scientists and military alike wandered around just for something to do or to seem busy.

Yesterday, before getting kicked out of his own lab, John had coerced Rodney into spilling the beans about his dreams and oddly enough, Rodney had found it far too easy to get it all off his chest. As expected, the Colonel had taken it all in stride, agreeing with the scientist that he was just stressed out and tired. John had had his fair share of nightmares after all. He could understand the fear of losing friends, being alone, having the life sucked out of you by alien vampire creatures. Who couldn't in the Pegasus Galaxy?

Rodney let out a huff of breath, eyes locked on the Life Signs Detector as they made their way down the hallway, their pace unhurried.

"About as well as a punch in the face from Kavanagh. I had another one last night. Woke up on the floor." He winced, rubbing his lower back. "That probably gave me irreparable back damage. Not to mention wrecking havoc on my sleep cycle."

John snorted, hands resting on the butt of his strapped on P-90.

"Sleep cycle? You barely have a routine, let alone a cycle. You do look a little peaky though." He wiggled his fingers in front of his own face in demonstration.

"Peaky? Have you been talking to Carson lately?"

A shrug. "He just wanted to know how you were doing."

Stopping in his tracks, Rodney scowled and lowered the Life Signs Detector.

"So everyone's been talking about me behind my back, is that it?"

John raised his eyebrows. Leave it to McKay to blow things out of proportion.

"Hardly everyone. Relax, would you? People are just worried about you, that's all."

"People? As in ev—"

"_People_," John stressed, interrupting the scientist. "As in your friends who happen to be your team mates and doctor _and_ who also happen to be concerned about you. Now chill out! I think you're passing your stress onto me."

"Like _that's_ possible," Rodney snorted, raising the Life Signs Detector once again. A few minutes of silence passed before the scientist asked rather smugly, "So you're concerned for me, huh?"

John rolled his eyes, lips curving.

"Yes, Rodney. Now stop preening and find me something cool to play with."

"Well, I have been following this energy signature for the last ten minutes," Rodney said with a smug smile. "I was going to tell you after you finished declaring your—totally platonic—love for me."

"You're a piece of work, McKay." Resisting the urge to smack the scientist up the back of his head, John chuckled and asked, "So where's this energy signature of yours? And what is it?"

Rodney 'hmm'ed thoughtfully, his eyes glued to the Life Signs Detector as they navigated the halls.

"Its location is pretty close by actually. Looks like it's coming from one of the labs nearer to the pier. As for _what_ it is, I have no idea. It's rather strong though..." Which made him slightly uneasy, truth be told. "I don't want to compare it to a ZedPM, but..." He frowned, lips pressing together.

John's eyebrows disappeared above his hairline.

"There's a ZPM here?"

"I said _compare_, Colonel. Weren't you listening? It's not a ZedPM. There's no way. You were there when we scanned the city for them, remember? There was nothing. This can't be right..." Yet there it was, a brightly lit circle pulsing enigmatically on the screen.

"Well we should check it out anyways," John stated, giving the butt of his P-90 a pat. "Lead on, McKay."

Rodney's frown deepened, but he headed forwards anyways. Even though it all felt completely wrong, the possibility of a ZedPM was too good of a lure to keep him away.

As they moved deeper into dank corridors of the South pier labs, the energy signature on the screen grew threateningly brighter. Rodney's hand clutched the device, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"This...this can't be happening," he squawked as he came to an abrupt stop in the centre of the hall. The light from John's P-90 cast shadows on the walls as the Colonel leaned over Rodney's shoulder to peer at the screen.

"What can't be happening?" he asked with a frown, not seeing anything out of the ordinary on the Detector. The screen was glowing its normal 'happy Atlantis' pale blue with their two life signs pulsing. But there was no energy signature. "Rodney...there's nothing—"

"Whatever it is is growing to enormous proportions! It's like seven ZedPMs all overloading at once!" Rodney's baby blues were blown wide as he slapped his earpiece and snapped, "Zelenka, where the _hell_ is all that energy coming from?!"

John ignored Radek's confused, "_What?_" on the radio as he grabbed the scientist's shoulders and gave him a firm shake. "Rodney, there's nothing there. There's no energy—"

"We need to evacuate, Colonel," Rodney interrupted as he shook the other man's hands off him, limbs practically shaking from the sudden onslaught of panic. "Now! The explosion could rip apart the planet! Everyone needs to get through the Stargate—Maybe there's a way I can—but if the device is—I don't even know _what_—" He suddenly snapped his fingers, somehow manoeuvring around the Life Signs Detector. "The lab. I need to get to the lab."

The Colonel tried to follow McKay's fast flowing thoughts, but before he had a chance to even double check the Detector to make sure there was absolutely nothing there, Rodney was off running.

"What the—Mc_Kay_! Get your ass back here!" John yelled while clipping his P-90 to his vest and taking off after the scientist. His boots pounded along the floor, eyes locked on Rodney's back. Who knew the Canadian could run so fast?

"_Colonel, is everything alright? What energy was Rodney talking about?_"

When Elizabeth's voice crackled in John's earpiece, the man drawled out through huffs, "No, everything's _not_ alright. McKay's freaking out down here! Seeing things—" He sped around the corner and spotted Rodney skidding into an unused lab. "—he's convinced there's some energy signature, some device that's about to explode and kill us all."

There was a pause on the other end before Elizabeth replied tersely, "_And you're sure there's nothing about to explode and kill us all, right?_"

"Pretty darn sure, yeah."

"_What do you mean he's seeing things, Colonel?_" came Carson's tense brogue.

"I mean that he's seeing things! He's absolutely positive he sees some building energy signature on the Life Signs Detector. I took a look and didn't see a damned thing. Now hold on a sec..."

Slowing down to a jog, John headed into the lab to see Rodney hunched over a consol, hands flying.

"Rodney? Buddy? How about you come over here for a second?" Sheppard suggested, still hovering near the doorway. He didn't want to spook the man, just in case.

"Can't you see I'm busy trying to prevent our untimely doom here, Colonel?" Rodney snapped back, his eyes constantly moving from the consol to the display screen hanging directly above it.

John raised his eyebrows, his own gaze sweeping over the lab. Every piece of equipment was dark since no power was being directed towards that part of the city. Why waste the energy if the area was unused? But there was Rodney, fingers moving over the crystals, eyes reading nonexistent information. If it hadn't been so serious, John would have found it amusing.

"I know you are, but I really need to talk to you," he coaxed, all the while listening to the chatter going on in his ear piece.

"_Colonel, I'm on my way down with a team. Don't let him do anything harmful_," Carson said, the doctor already huffing as he assumedly made waves for the nearest transporter.

"_Ronon and I are coming as well, John. We will be there soon_," Teyla added, her voice tense but calm.

John didn't reply to either one of them, but felt relief all the same. His eyes stayed locked on Rodney who was still moving around furiously, panicked but determined. The Colonel opened his mouth to try and persuade Rodney to come out into the hall, but the scientist suddenly stopped moving, his body as still as if it were carved from stone.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Unsure of how to reply, John just shook his head slowly. He hadn't heard a damn thing.

"It sounded like...clicking. Like something metal clicking," Rodney added, voice still lowered while his baby blues flickered around. The pair fell into silence. John watched uneasily, eyebrows together in a frown as Rodney trembled minutely, the scientist's head twitching this way and that every time he 'heard' a sound. "There must be hundreds of them..."

"Of what..." asked Sheppard quietly, hands gripping the butt of his P-90 despite his knowledge that nothing was there.

Rodney shook his head, looking slightly confused under all the fear.

"They sound like—but that's not possible...they can't be all the way out here..."

"_What_ can't be out here?" John stressed, halfway to calling a security team just in case.

Another tremble ran through Rodney, his face pale as he looked to the Colonel.

"Bugs," he uttered, eyes wide. "Replicator bugs."

x x x

TBC...

A/N: I think it's a safe assumption that Rodney has come in contact with those damn bugs at least once during his time at Area 51 and the SGC.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Anybody out there going to the Fan Expo in Canada? I know I am =D and as always, thanks for all the reviews! They inspire me to get off my ass and write =P

STATUS: TBC

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Nightmares have begun to plague Rodney's dreams. What happens when they start to merge with real life?

SPOILERS: Nada

DISCLAIMER: Everything Stargate Atlantis related is property of MGM. I own nothing.

x x x

"How's he doing?"

John looked up from where he was standing beside Rodney's bed, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. Ronon had slipped past the privacy curtain, Teyla following quietly.

"Still conked out from when Carson sedated him," John answered the Satedan.

Ronon dropped backwards into the nearest chair, arms resting on the back. His gaze moved from the immobile scientist to the Colonel.

"What were those things McKay thought was attacking him again? Bugs?"

"I believe he called them Replicator bugs," Teyla supplied. "But I have never heard of them before, and certainly never seen them."

"That's because they're from our galaxy," John explained. "They're self-replicating robot things. They can take the form of humans too but they seem to use the bugs to scuttle around causing general mayhem, especially on ships."

"Why would they wish to do that?"

"Oh, you know, the usual; conversion, taking over the galaxy. That sort of thing. They pissed off the Asgard big time, I heard."

"Aye, they're nasty little buggers."

All eyes turned to Carson as he pulled the privacy curtain to the side, a tablet in hand. He walked over to Rodney's beside, opposite John, and gently picked up the scientist's wrist.

"Well, aside from the effects of the sedation, the lad appears to be fine," he said as he mentally kept the pulse rate. "I honestly have no idea what caused the hallucination. His blood work came back clean and the scan showed nothing out of the ordinary."

"Perhaps it is just stress, like you and Kate said?" Teyla suggested.

"That might not be the case anymore," someone announced before Carson could reply.

John watched warily as Elizabeth Weir strode across the infirmary and over to the group, an unreadable expression on her face. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"There was a commotion in the mess hall. Two scientists started yelling about how Atlantis was being attacked by an unknown vessel. It took almost half an hour before they began to calm down." Weir let out a sigh and added, "The marines on duty said they were close to calling the infirmary for a sedative."

"What the bloody hell's going on around here?" asked Carson aghast. "We can't keep sedating everyone over random hallucinations."

"Now hold on here, Carson," John said evenly. "Elizabeth said it was only two scientists, three including Rodney. I'd hardly say it was all our people. It's not an epidemic or anything."

"The coincidence, however, is too obvious to ignore though," Elizabeth pointed out. John nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. So maybe we should—"

"_Colonel Sheppard? This is Major Lorne. We need a security team in the main Lab immediately. Doctor Kwiatkowski somehow got a hold of Lieutenant Waltman's sidearm. She's convinced she's on a Wraith Hive Ship."_

"Which would make us..." John started darkly as he and Ronon headed for the infirmary doors.

"_...the Wraith. Yes, Sir._"

"Right, I'll get a team together and meet you down there." Turning around as he walked, John looked back to where Teyla, Elizabeth, and Carson were still hovering beside Rodney's bed. "Teyla, Elizabeth, stay with McKay. Carson, get whatever you need and get down to the lab. Don't enter until I give you the all clear." He turned to Ronon. "You're with me, big guy."

x x x

Ten minutes after Sheppard had gotten the call and the infirmary had calmed down, Rodney woke up. Teyla was the first to notice.

"Rodney, welcome back," she said with a pleased smile as she leaned closer, her chair positioned at his bedside.

The scientist groaned, looking all sorts of bleary eyed and confused.

"Eugh, why do I feel like my head's full of cotton?" he asked, hands flapping lazily at his sides.

Teyla and Elizabeth shared a glance before the Athosian asked, "What is the last thing you remember, Rodney?"

McKay frowned, rubbing his forehead.

"Sheppard and I were in the South Pier, looking around...there was this energy signature...and..." Suddenly he bolted up, previously sluggish hands now batting and slapping at his chest and arms. "Oh, God—the bugs! They were everywhere—"

Immediately Teyla and Elizabeth were on their feet, holding down the scientist's arms firmly.

"Rodney, calm down! The bugs weren't real," Elizabeth stressed as she glanced around, hoping no one had heard the brief commotion. McKay definitely would _not_ have appreciated the attention. "You were just seeing things. Hallucinating. Everything is fine."

It took a few moments for the words to sink in before he started to relax under their grip. Rodney looked up at the two women, wide eyes shifting back and forth.

"A halluc—but they were everywhere...crawling all over me and—" As if suddenly remembering something, Rodney swung his head around, peering anxiously every which way. "My sidearm! I wanted to use it—to shoot them. Where's Sheppard? Did I—Oh, God...did I--"

"Colonel Sheppard is perfectly fine, Rodney," assured Teyla as soon as she realized what the scientist had thought. "From what he said, he took the weapon from you before you had even released the safety. No harm was done."

Rodney let out a breath as he sunk back, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"Good, that's good. Then where is he? And Conan? Not that I, you know...expect them when I wake up or anything...I just..." He trailed off awkwardly, stubbornly ignoring the two amused smiles at either side of him. But within moments they were gone, replaced with grim expressions. "What? What is it?"

"There seems to be..._something_ affecting the base," Elizabeth started slowly. "We're not quite sure yet. The coincidences are too obvious to ignore, but—"

"What coincidences?" interrupted Rodney with an irritated flap of his hand. "Hello? Been in a medically induced sleep here!"

Teyla put a hand on his shoulder, explaining calmly, "There have been many...situations in the city that are quite similar to what has been happening to you. For instance, two scientists in the mess hall earlier were convinced that Atlantis was being attacked by an unknown ship. They were quite distressed."

"And now Doctor Kwiatkowski in the main lab has taken Lieutenant Waltman's sidearm," added Elizabeth grimly.

"What? Why?" asked a baffled Rodney.

"Because she's convinced she's on a Wraith Hive ship. That's where John and Ronon are now with a security team." Elizabeth was silent for a beat before she added, "I've told them to use stunners if absolutely necessary."

"If Kwiatkowski is so convinced that she's _armed_ herself, then trust me, stunners will be necessary," said Rodney with pursed lips. "What you see is very...realistic. It would be safest for everyone involved if she was just stunned."

Elizabeth assessed her Chief Scientist, remembering how panicked he had sounded on the radio and how spooked, no matter how hard he had tried to hide it, John had been once they made it to the infirmary. He had explained how unsettling it had been to watch Rodney race around trying to save them from a nonexistent threat.

"You're sure...?" Elizabeth asked carefully.

Rodney just nodded absently in reply, his mind replaying the earlier events. Realistic was an understatement.

After receiving a slight nod from Teyla, Elizabeth keyed her radio.

"John? How are things progressing?"

There was a long pause, everyone's eyes focused on something different as they waited with poorly hidden tension.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Colonel replied. His voice was pitched low, as if he didn't want to be heard.

"_Sheppard here. This isn't really a good time..._"

"John, Rodney has woken up. He seems to think that you should just stun Doctor Kwiatkowski."

"..._say again?_"

"I know, I don't like the thought of stunning one of our people either," Elizabeth assured him steadily. "But Rodney thinks—"

"Oh, for—" With an impatient slap to his radio, Rodney said irritably, "Look, Sheppard. She's not going to snap out of it very easily, and especially not before someone gets hurt. So stun her. Trust me, you'll be doing her a favour."

The scientist could practically hear John purse his lips darkly as he thought. No one liked to stun one of their own, but sometimes it had to be done.

Finally John said, "_Major, you get that? You're closer then I am._"

"_Every word, sir. Sergeant Marks has the stunner and is in range._"

"_...do it._"

The whine of the stunner discharging and the thump that followed was loud in everyone's ears.

"_Alright, Kwiatkowski's_ _down,_" John stated moments later. "_Carson and his team are taking her to the infirmary._"

"Understood," said Elizabeth, looking none too happy. "Once Doctor Beckett gives Rodney the all clear, I think we should meet in the Conference room and discuss what exactly is going on around here."

"_Copy that. We'll see you in ten._"

Just before tapping her earpiece, Elizabeth asked apprehensively, "And how about you, John? Are you...experiencing anything?"

"_Not me. Haven't seen any Wraith, Replicators...nothing._"

"And you, Ronon?"

"_Nope._"

"Alright then. Weir out."

She turned to look at Teyla and Rodney who were staring back, one with a solemn gaze and the other with wide baby blues.

Until Carson returned, there was nothing to do but to wait.

x x x

A/N: I know, another chapter out so soon. Your reviews inspired me =P


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Holy late chapter, Batman! Seriously though, my apologies. I have to say, I had a really tough time with this chapter (that, and school's a bitch.). So hopefully you're all still out there and haven't given up on me! *giant puppy eyes*

STATUS: TBC

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Nightmares have begun to plague Rodney's dreams. What happens when they start to merge with real life?

SPOILERS: Nada

DISCLAIMER: Everything Stargate Atlantis related is property of MGM. I own nothing.

x x x

"Alright, now that we're all here..." Elizabeth Weir looked around the conference room to meet six pairs of eyes staring back at her. To her right sat Rodney, Radek, and Carson. To her left, John, Teyla, Ronon. "It's time for the million dollar question. What exactly are we dealing with?"

No one replied.

Eventually Rodney shifted in his seat before saying lamely, "Hallucinations?"

"I think she meant, just what the hell are _causing_ them?" Leaning forward in his seat, John rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Look, obviously something is affecting us. And it's gotta be a pretty advanced something since its spread across the city so quickly."

"A drug perhaps?" suggested Teyla.

Carson shook his head.

"I doubt it. I found nothing different in Rodney's blood work. Besides, I can't even think of a chemical that would work so rapidly."

"How do we know it hasn't been festering for a while?" Rodney looked practically sick at his own suggestion. "Waiting there to seep into our brains and kill us slowly from the inside out with our own _mind_..."

There was a moment of silence.

"I doubt that's the case, lad," Carson finally said assuredly, giving the scientist's hand a pat.

"You never know. How many years have we been living here? Look at all the crazy crap we've seen. How do you know—"

"_Assuming_," Elizabeth interrupted with a wry smile in Rodney's direction. "-that it isn't a drug, what other possibilities are there?"

"Wraith," Ronon said promptly, arms folded across his chest.

Rodney snorted, tossing up his hands in exasperation.

"Wraith? Seriously? That's your answer to everything!"

'"Now, now, kids..." John said evenly. "Any suggestion is a good suggestion, but I have to agree with McKay on this one. Doesn't seem like their style."

Ronon grunted.

"I agree," Teyla added. "Besides, I do not feel their presence."

"Nor are they on our scanners," Radek concluded.

"Alright, so it's not a drug or any attempt by the Wraith," Elizabeth summed up. She laced her fingers together, pensively resting her chin against them. "So...what does that leave us with?"

Another bout of silence fell before Rodney suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"

John raised his eyebrows.

"Care to fill in the rest of the class?"

Pointedly ignoring the Colonel's drawled out question, Rodney turned excitedly to Radek, already talking a mile a minute.

"Those artefacts found in the South Pier—"

"—but they were put away for later—"

"—_yes_ but someone with the gene might have fiddled with something, accidentally switched something on—"

"—and it has been running silently ever since," the Czech finished, a thoughtful look on his face. "Is possible. But what kind of device would make—"

"That doesn't matter right now," Rodney interrupted as he waved an impatient hand. "We need to do a sweep of...of the..." Slowly the scientist's words trailed off, his blue gaze flickering around in poorly hidden growing alarm. Without warning, his surroundings had changed, just morphed away without a sound. Where it left him, he didn't like.

The previously sleek blue-hued walls of Atlantis had melted away into a deep purple, the texture organic and almost _alive_. The scientist could practically feel the walls of the materialized Wraith hive ship breathing around him, surrounding him in the dim, sickly light, the air heavy. In front and to the sides of him sat six Wraith, their hair long and white, lips curled into sneers.

"Oh, god..."

The words tumbled from Rodney's mouth before he grabbed the edge of the crude, spongy table and prepared to push himself away. Instead, he looked down and felt his mouth fall open.

"No. No, no, no—"

The hands gripping the table edge were not the hands of a skilled _human_ scientist, but those of a life-sucking—

"This isn't real!"

His voice rasped, sharpened teeth clicking together, body burning with hunger. He jumped up, tripping over the chair legs and smacking at his grossly unfamiliar arms as he scrambled back, hitting the squashy wall.

"No, no, no, no—" he said frantically, flashes of his own white hair flying past his face. "This isn't—I can't—"

The six Wraith slid silently out of their chairs to stalk predatorily over to Rodney, their insect-like eyes boring into him. He pressed closer against the wall, body slowly sliding down until his butt hit the floor.

"Don't! I'm not—I'm _not_—"

As the Wraith closed in on him, Rodney, completely weapon less, scared, and confused, did the only thing he could do.

He yelled for John.

x

"Ach, hell! I didn't bring anything with me! I'll call the infirmary for a sedative—"

Ignoring Carson's cursing, John jumped out of his seat as soon as Rodney hit the floor. Whatever the man was seeing right now was clearly scaring the shit out of him, if the way he was curling in on himself was any indication.

"McKay? Rodney? Come on now..." The Colonel dropped to his knees beside the scientist, gripping the blue-covered shoulders and giving them a firm shake. "Whatever you're seeing isn't real!"

"I'm not—I'm _not_—"

The Colonel watched Rodney shake his head quickly, voice almost hysteric with fear as he kept denying the unheard question, blue eyes shut tightly.

"He's not what?" Elizabeth wondered, her gaze wide. She hovered on Rodney's other side, a gentle hand on the scientist's back. It rubbed up and down soothingly but Rodney didn't even seem to notice. He probably couldn't even see them.

"I don't kn—"

Before John could answer, his name suddenly escaped from McKay in a cry, the terrified man clearly requesting help. The Colonel was all too familiar with that yell, unfortunately.

"Whoa, buddy! I'm here!" he insisted, fingers digging into Rodney's shoulders. "I'm right here. All you gotta do is open your eyes."

Rodney shook his head again, absolutely refusing to open his eyes and face whatever was frightening him.

"No," he snapped, knuckles turning white from where he was gripping his pant legs at his knees. "No, I won't—"

"Come on, Answer Man," John coaxed, eyes riveted on his head geek. "I'm right here, scout's honour. Would I lie to you about something like that?"

There was a long minute of silence, the scientist clearly giving it some thought. Finally he swallowed and shook his head.

"You wouldn't..."

John let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Exactly. So let's see those baby blues, buddy."

Rodney stilled for a second, body tensing as he braced himself to open his eyes and see—

"Colonel," he stated blankly, voice laden with awe and relief. "You—" His blue gaze flickered around, taking in the many worried and concerned faces. "I was—and you were all—" He rubbed at his temples, eyes drifting shut again. "I really want that damned device fixed."

"Or destroyed," John added grimly, lips pursing. Not for the first time, he wondered just what the hell those Ancients were thinking, if it _was_ one of their devices...

"Are you alright to get to your feet, lad? Come on now..."

John backed away as Carson and Teyla fussed with Rodney. He didn't blame them. Seeing the normally arrogant and overconfident scientist curled up on himself, pleading to an enemy only he could see was...well, it wasn't very pleasant.

"Oh, for—I'm fine, you harpies!"

A small smile flickered across the Colonel's lips before he turned to Zelenka.

"Alright, I want that sweep done. Whatever device is screwing us up, I want gone _now_. In pieces, if possible."

"Right away, Colonel."

Radek grabbed his tablet and scurried out of the conference room, leaving a blustering Rodney in his wake.

"Ach, Rodney! You stay right where you are!" Carson insisted, grabbing the back of McKay's shirt as the man tried to follow after Zelenka.

"What! Look, I'm fine! Stop pestering me, Carson! I need to help—"

"You need to go back to the infirmary, is what you need—"

"Carson!"

"Rodney..."

John let out a sigh.

They needed to find that device before he threw _himself_ off the deep end.

x x x

A/N: short, I know. But a short chapter is better then no chapter, right??...right? Love me! The wait for the next chapter won't be too bad cause I _finally_ figured out what's going to happen *facepalm* let's hope, haha. John whump coming up!


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